Sweetest Little Sin

My Review: Lady Louisa Brooke has waited eight long excruciating years for the Marquis of Jardine to renounce his life-endangering job at England's Home Office and finally provide her with the marriage and family he once vowed. Now, after time has successfully completed its erosion of her once formidable strength to grasp tightly to Jardine's promises, Louisa only wishes to be rid of him and what ultimately proved to be a pack of lies, all of which she'd foolishly built her life around. Having forsaken years that she'll never get back, Louisa refuses to wait a moment longer to start living and when the Home Office comes knocking on her door, she answers it with relish. Jardine has loved and feared for Louisa from the first moment he was felled by her warrior-woman eyes. Knowing that his enemies wouldn't think twice before abducting Louisa if their passion for one another became public, Jardine instead makes promises of forever then promptly leaves resulting in eight years of cat and mouse. While he hates that he's had to hurt her, Jardine's beastly possessive nature refuses to let her find happiness with another. Louisa is his and always will be. But when a deadly enemy proves to be closer now more than ever, Jardine knows that he must drive Louisa away once and for all or risk loosing her in the worst way. He must put an end to their liaison as well as her dreams for he'd rather Louisa be vibrantly alive than dead. However, he never dreamed that she'd promptly set her cap on one Mr. Radleigh; a man that Jardine suspects of much more than mere treason but more importantly, Radleigh could lead him to an even more fearsome enemy whose motive is a dark and personal revenge. While Radleigh reeks of a perverse evil making Louisa shiver internally with fear, she gathers strength from finally having found a much needed purpose with the Home Office. No matter that their requirement of Louisa is trivial and she longs for more responsibility, she'll not shirk her duty and instead surpasses their demands by agreeing to marry Radleigh in order to secure an invitation to his country estate. The engagement wouldn't have been her choice but to decline would have proven her disinterest and therefore negated her chance for the Home Office's required invitation. What proves to be the most difficult with regards to Louisa's mission, however, is that she absolutely must not disclose a single shred of information to anyone. When Jardine makes a predictably arrogant attempt to curtail Louisa's engagement, she at first thrills in her heart that he may be jealous, but he soon smashes that hopeful notion. He didn't lie when he told he no longer loved her. Instead Jardine thinks her inept which only makes Louisa's smearing of his face within her pending nuptials all the more satisfying - sham wedding or not. Frightened by the strange coincidence of Louisa becoming engaged to Radleigh, Jardine smells something foul afoot and gains his own invitation to the Radleigh co

The SWEETEST LITTLE SIN is an intriguing novel that sucked me in from the first page. As well as being a strong character driven novel, the SWEETEST LITTLE SIN had some interesting plot turns that I had never guessed. I loved the premise of a secret love. I admired Jardine's reasons for needing to protect Louisa and I loved the fact that Louisa wasn't a wimp who spent pages and pages complaining that her life was now over since Jardine abandoned her. She took action. While I didn't always agree with the choices Louisa made, I understood why she made them. The only thing that distracted me from the reading experience is the fact that I felt like I walked into the theater thirty minutes after the movie started. Important relationship details weren't explored and I don't know if it was because I had not read the author's previous release, but it I couldn't help feeling as if I was missing a big gap on Jardine and Louisa's relationship. I also wished that more focus was placed on their relationship rather than the mystery. Despite my qualms, the SWEETEST LITTLE SIN was a great read and I wouldn't hesitate to pick something else up by this author.

The Marquis of Jardine has many secrets, of course being a secret agent lends to his covert nature. He doesn't necessarily work for the British Government, he likes to be on his own, but he has worked closely with many official agents over the years. One of his secrets is that he is in love with Lady Louisa Brooke. They have quite a history together, and she definitely shares his affection, but to keep her safe, something Jardine will do at all costs, he finds he has to push her away. Louisa is desperately in love with Jardine, and although she wears a brave face, she is crumbling on the inside. Louisa is considered a spinster by society, and although she went through a time where her family had no money, her family now bears a wealthy title and they are invited into the homes of the elite ton. Louisa could care less about the frivolity associated with these people, but to bear the unimaginable pain that Jardine causes her when he kicks her out of his life, she accepts as many invitations as possible to keep her mind occupied. Louisa and Jardine have something in common, although they don't know it. Faulkner, a secret agent whom Louisa helped briefly recently, wants Louisa to do one small task - get invited to Radleigh's house party. Faulkner is convinced Radleigh has a list of secret agents he is trying to sell and that could be disastrous to the country. If Louisa can get an invite, she will be able to bring a female companion, although this companion will be very much a spy herself. Louisa is up for the house party, and for the part where she pretends to be in love with Radleigh - anything to get her mind off Jardine. She not only gets invited to the house party, but Radleigh is so taken with her, an engagement develops. When word of this returns to Jardine - he becomes livid. The thought of Louisa in danger, and the thought of Radleigh's hands on the woman he loves, almost sets him over the edge. Jardine also knows Radleigh has the list and has his own agenda for wanting to get his hands on it. When Jardine and Louisa arrive at the house party, they are both after the same mission, they are both in love with each other, but there are so many secrets flying around, there is much investigating before all can come to the forefront I'm not sure if I agree with the "sweetest" part of Sweetest Little Sin. While I very much enjoyed this book, I wouldn't call our hero Jardine nor our heroine, Louisa sweet. Maybe intense, aggressive, or sordid. The concept that these two people love each other so much, yet can not be together for fear of losing their lives had my anxiety in full swing by page fifteen. Jardine is forced to push Louisa out of his life, knowing the bad guys would love to get their hands on anything Jardine holds dear. Louisa is crushed, but not necessarily sulky. She is very strong and smart and would rather get angry than mope about in tears. When these two do come together it is explosive. This is not a mushy romance, folks. This i

To the Ton a female almost thirty years old is a spinster on the shelf with no hope of marriage. Louisa Brooke may be a spinster, but she knows the only man she wants is Jardine although he shows no interest in her. Jardine is the Crown's top spymaster who needs help to root out a most likely traitor. He asks Louisa to assist him. He wants her to flirt with the prime suspect, which she readily agrees to do mostly to make her unrequited beloved jealous although she doubts she will succeed. When her activity places her in danger, Jardine wants her to gracefully back out; as he fears for Louisa's life and knows an error caused by his unprofessional desire for her could result in her death and mission failure This is an exhilarating espionage historical romantic suspense starring a wonderful courageous heroine and a professional spymaster who regrets placing the woman he once ruined but still cherishes from afar in peril. Fast-paced and filled with twists, fans will fully appreciate Christine Wells' Sweetest Little Sin as the spy wants to come in form the cold for the heat emitted by his beloved, but must keep her safe after endangering her while also completing the mission. Harriet Klausner